Bag and bag handle construction



March 2, 1948. N. H. CAMPBELL BAG AND BAG HANDLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 31, 1945 FIG 7 ZNVs/vf-OR NORMAN H. CAMPBELL ,4 Tros/VE r I G f qi-: Il;

FIG. 3.

Pmmd Mu. 2, 194s UNITED sTATEs PATENT A orrlcE BAG AND BAG HANDLE CONSTRUCTION l Norman ll. Campbell. Toronto, ntario, Canada Application August 3l, 1945. Serial No.8l3,918 z claim, (ci. zza-ss) This invention relates to improvements in bag and bag handle construction, and more particularly to an improved appliance for use as a handle attached or attachable to the upper margin of a bag or sack. for carrying the sack and contents. The improvements in preferred embodiments include an improved handle as such, as for sacks or bags, anda novel combination thereof with a sack or bag, such that the handle portion of the assembly constitutes, or may serve as a closure for the container with which it is employed. A

Because of current delivery and transportation curtailment, and an increased prevalence of cash-and-carry merchandising, there has arisen a considerable demand for a combined bag closure and handle assembly conducing to a greater ease of carrying sacked merchandise of substantial weight, and in minimizing the liability of dropping and perhaps losing the contents of filled containers of this class. The present improvements accordingly objectively attain an improved bag and handle structure including an improved and novel handle which, if desired, may be employed per se, with a variety of different containers such as shopping or marketing bags.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective device of the type noted. which may be produced at low cost, of a single piece of readily foldable sheet material. If desired and for certain fields of usage,- theimprovements result in a handle which may be employed as a one-time carrying expedient.

A further importantv objective of the present invention is attained in a bag and handle construction in which certain heretofore prevalent zones of inherent weakness in a handle of the general-type in discussion, are effectively reinforced' in a manner tending to preclude tearing or shearing ofthe'handle, whereby the current developments add greatly .to its tensile strength, augmenting the permissive loading of a handle structure of given shape and thickness of mate- Yet another object is attained in a handle structure of the general type. noted which may be economicallyAdie-cut, quickly folded and may be attached to a sack or bagby relatively unskilled labor and at low cost per unit, both for material and assembly time charges.

Still further important objectives of the present improvements` are attained in a design in which, as a carrying handle for a fabric or paper.

sack, the load is applied in the plane of the sheet material of which the handle is formed, the

design of handle being further such that it is readily usable as a combined bag seal or closure and handle, in which common fastening means may serve to assemble the parts of the handle and to attach the handle where desired, to the mouth region of the sack or bag, all in a manner tending to discourage substitution of the packaged bag contents.

The foregoing and numerous other objects will more readily and clearly appear from the following detailed description of -certain preferred embodiments of the' invention, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred handle and bag assembly, showing only a fragmentary upper portion of the bag;'

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, as taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank sheet utilized, when folded and assembled, to form the handle of Fig. l, Fig. 3 being shown on a somewhat reduced scale;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the blank of Fig. 3, after preliminary folding operations;

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the structure of Fig. 4, after a further partial folding step;

Fig. 6 is a side view of a slightly modified form of handle assembly, and

Fig. I is a sectional view taken along line l--l of Fig. 6.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, the preferred embodiment consists of a sheet of material generally designated at Ill. In order to cut it without waste from a larger sheet or supply roll of the material, the sheet Il is initially of a generally rectangular form. Its major portions consist of two large panel or wing ele-4 ments II and I2, formed by folding the original sheet I0 along a rectilinear fold line I3 which for' l purposes of present discussion may be considered as horizontal, and as parallel to and intermediate the longer side margins of the original sheet I Il.v

For the purpose of providing hand ports orY apertures, each of the panels I I and I2 is longitudinally cut out to provide the elongate hand port I4 in panel Il and a similar aperture I5 in panel I2. As will be noted, these hand holes are spaced equidistantly below the horizontal fold line I3, so

tures or those of other shapes, the rounded ends of the hand ports have been found more resistant to tendencies, otherwise experienced, for the handle structure to exhibit tearing effects, initiating in the corners of angulately shaped hand openings.

A protracted series of experiments in actual usage of devices of the present order, have resulted in the finding that in cases of occasional overloading, or in the event of application of sudden lifting stresses to the handle, it may exhibit a tendency to tear out along vertical lines from the end zones of the hand openings to the top or outer margin of the handle; sometimes also tearlng effects are noted along horizontal lines continuing the upper margins of the hand apertures, and extending therefrom to the ends of the assembled handle. The present improvements make special provision to resist both such tearing tendencies, as will now be described:

In the preferred arrangement of elements of the handle, the initial sheet I is of considerably greater length than would be necessary merely to form the handle structure of the two overlying panels II and I2. This excess over the area of material theoretically required, lies endwise beyond the panels proper, I'I and I2, and may be described as end flaps I1 and I8. Demarcation between the end flaps and the body of the panelforming part of the sheet, is seen in a pair of vertical, fold lines 20 and 2 I. These end flaps, as will now have become apparent, are folded each along its adjacent vertical fold line 20 or 2I, into overlying relation to the panels I I and I2, and by further preference, this is done prior to overfolding the major panels I I and I2 into substantial parallelism. The extent of the end flaps in area,

proportionate to total area. of the major panels is optional, but it is preferred that the end flaps extend upon the panels II and I2 somewhat inwardly beyond the ends of the hand apertures I4 and I'5, so that the flaps, which may be considered as reinforcing strip portions, will in assembly serve materially to strengthen the lines of weakness otherwise existing in the zones endwise of and above the hand apertures.

It is of course desirable, in fact necessary, that in case the end flaps I1 and I8 are brought inwardly of the major panels beyond the end zones of the handle apertures, the flaps be cut away, relieved or recessed so as to avoid their obstruction of the hand apertures I4 and I5. For this purpose in the present embodiment, the ap I8 is provided with recesses 22 and 23, and flap I1 with corresponding and matching recesses 24 and 25.

Although a preferred proportion of 'parts of the original sheet I0, folded up to form first the two major panels II and I2, and secondly the areas devoted to the flaps I1 and I8, is substan- ';ially as shown, it will now have appeared as possible and to result in a fully operative structure to utilize unequal end flaps I'I-I8, in fact to extend either such flap substantially or entirely over the full area of both panels II and I2, thus eliminating or substantially eliminating the opposite flap. Similarly, the areas of the matching openings 22-24 and '23-25 may be proportioned as desired between the flaps, or a full length hand opening or even a larger recess be formed entirely in one of the flaps.

Thus l' ar no particular material has been specified, of which to form the handle structure. For its primary intended purpose of a one-time handle for use with an expendible sack or bag, it is natural to select a low cost sheet material such as cardboard or the like; however, for a handle intended for repeat usage and as a permanent or semi-permanent article, any one of numerous well known sheeiI plastic materials or a. foldable sheet metal may be employed. It has been found, particularly with non-metallic materials, that to attain the requisite strength with suitable qualities of tension and tear-resistance, a sheet material of suilicient gauge when utilizing only two overfolded elements, may have a tendency to fracture and sever along its fold lines; a much better result is had by utilizing a structure which in assembly, is of at least three and preferably four plies in thickness. The results of this experience and the experiments leading to these findings, are herein reported as persuasive of the marked advantage of the multiple ply construction preferred.

As thus far described, the several folding operations have become apparent in the presented form, namely, overfolding of the two end flaps I I--I 8 where both are employed. Since it is preferable for sake of appearance and structure as well, to include the overfolded flaps between the ultimately parallel wings or panels II and I2, the aps are usually, as shown, folded over upon what will become the inside surfaces of these major panel elements. The final folding operation then consists of folding along the horlzontal line I3 so as to bring the panels II and I2 into a slightly open inverted V-formation. If desired to dispense the handle as such, the two panels may be secured together as by a series of wire staples 26 or alternately, as by a pair of gromets 27, it being obvious that the gromets or their equivalent may be employed for the reception of draw strings, securement cords, lacing or the like for securement of the handle to, say a fabric marketing bag or a sack of flexible material.

In their broader aspects, the present improvements cover not merely the handle per se as heretofore structurally described, but the combination of a handle of this general type with a sack or bag as both a sealing and lifting agency, hence as a bag closure and handle. In the merchandising of many bulk articles, for example, such as flour, often dispensed in some markets say in seven pound or larger bags, it is a great convenience to the purchaser to be provided with aconvenient lifting handle; obviously also a secure bag-sealing expedient is particularly needed with merchandise of this class, not only for sanitary reasons, but as a deterrent to substitution from bulk containers, and to prevent spillage and loss in transit. All of these desiderata are more than adequately realized in the combination of the present handle with a sack or bag. One convenient mode of this usage consists in bringing the opposite sides of the fabric, paper or other bag material, in the region of the bag mouth, into mutual parallelism, then, for purposes of sealing, folding the doubled material upon) itself at least once, as indicated at 30, or with a greater number of folds if desired, and across the full width of the bag mouth. This eectively seals the bag against spillage or loss of contents. As a. preferred mode of application of the handle to the bag with overfolded mouth portion, the inverted V form of handle prior to stapling or otherwise assembling the halves of the handle, is brought down over the overfolded bag mouth region, and a row of the wire staples such as 26 applied through the two panels Il and I2, if desired also 5 through the lnturned end ilaps -Il and I8, and similarly in the same operation, through the overfolded bag material. f

It will now have appeared that the folding of the bag material forms a stiiening rib or reinforcement 'such as shown at 3i along its upper margin, particularly if the sack be formed of paper, cardboard or the like, and that when the handle is securely assembled, as by stapling, stitching or otherwise as desired, there will result a sturdy, tension-resistant, tear-resisting handle and bag assembly, all in full attainment of the several stated objects and with other advantages implied and stated.

Although the inventionhas been described by detailed reference to preferred embodiments, the detail of description is to be understood solely in an instructive rather than in any limiting sense, in view of the many possible variants in the structure and its components, without departing from the full intended spirit and scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an assembled bag and handle structure, a handle consisting of a sheet of foldable stiff material of appreciable tensile strength, and folded to provide two major panel elements, each panel element being'provided with an elongate hand aperture, and the line of fold between the panel elements being so located as to bring the hand apertures into register, an internal reinforcing sheet located between the major panel f elements. and formed so as to avoid obstruction of the hand apertures, a bag or sack presenting a doubled portion of material along its upper margin and extended between the lower margins of the major panel elements, and holding means extending through the panel elements and the material of the bag adjacent said upper margin.

2. In an assembled bag and handle structure, a handle consisting voi? a sheet oi foldable cardper over the full width of the mouth, said doubled portion extended between the lower margins of the major panel elements of the handle, and v holding means extending through the panel elements of the handle and the overfolded material of the bag mouth portion, and lserving to seal the bag and secure the handle thereto.

NORMAN H. CAMPBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 'flle of this patent:

UNITED STATESv PATENTS Number Name Date 1,490,996 Vierengel Apr. 22, 1924 1,524,399 Krueger Jan, 27, 1925, 1,600,345 Littxnan Sept. 21, 1926 1,949,986 Whalleyv Mar. 6. 1934 2,138,336 Bronstein Nov. 29, 1938 2,162,235 Vaughn June 13, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country v Date 407.566 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1934 507,958 Great Britain June 23. 1939 

